Portfolio Environment
strong culture of training within Scotland already… it’s very much about bolting on to what’s already there,” he says. Last year, ConstructionSkills Scotland launched its Cut the Carbon campaign, which urges construction and retrofit firms to invest in future skills in order to massively reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. Te initiative also aims to make the industry “carbon clever”, and ensure it doesn’t get left behind by the transition to low carbon building. “We really try and give them as much information as we can about what the changes in regulations and policy might mean for them,” says Ford. “But also try and get them to buy in to it, in terms of it might actually help to be more competitive.” Te Scottish Government’s position is that
current building standards are to be reviewed in 2013, and again in 2016. Te review will be based on the recommendations of the Sullivan Report – A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland – which suggested advances on building standards will continue to take place on an incremental basis, with “the aim of net zero carbon new homes by 2016/17 if practicable”. Te staggered progress towards zero carbon homes remains dependent on the economic case. “Tere are practical limits on the level of emissions reductions that can currently be delivered by building-related improvement… there are, as such, significant challenges which will need to be addressed, including in relation to affordability, to deliver zero carbon housing,” a spokesman told Holyrood. Te Government has also promised action to support skills development. Trough initiatives such as the Flexible Training Opportunities and Low Carbon Skills Funds, it has pledged to “ensure that Scotland has the skilled workforce
Beyond the headlines
Caroline Lucas hopes to continue upward curve
Scotland is well-used to the idea of Green parliamentarians. Indeed, in 2003 the Scottish Greens returned seven MSPs and Robin Harper and Patrick Harvie are among our most recognised political figures. Given that context, it can be easy to underestimate the achievement of Caroline Lucas in becoming the UK’s first Green MP following the 2010 general election. It must be remembered, however, that Lucas’ victory was secured through the first past the post system, a process the Scottish Greens choose to avoid by not contesting constituency seats. Sixteen months on, Lucas has carved out a role as
a distinctive voice railing against the Westminster mainstream, and her party is growing in confidence. Last week, the Greens held their annual conference in Sheffield. The location was no accident. Just a few minutes from Nick Clegg’s Sheffield Hallam seat, Lucas used her keynote speech to make a direct appeal to disaffected Liberal Democrat voters who
66
www.holyrood.com 19 September 2011 The Dormont Estate near Lockerbie
(required) to capitalise on these opportunities”. According to Deveci, the Strategy for
Sustainable Housing in Scotland should be proactive in pushing the industry further down the road of change. “Tey need to see what’s in it for them,” he says. “On one hand, you have to push the building regulations as far you can. But I think after that, government needs to recognise there is a bit of homework to do, and encourage builders who are willing to do that. And either financially or by other means, tax breaks or whatever that carrot is, the carrot and stick method needs to be hand-in-hand here. “In the last ten, five years, thousands of houses have been built,” he says. “And none of them has actually been of a very low energy standard, they are still just meeting the building regulations and no more. Tese are built for the next 100 years, 60 years, so a huge opportunity is (being) missed.”
Te Scottish Government does not recognise the concern that homes built to current standards may become obsolete in a few years time. Te spokesman added: “Te risk, we would suggest, lies in not progressing further improvements – and delivering better buildings – where there is a sound case to support such action.” Deveci thinks the solution remains some way off, and is sceptical that zero carbon homes won’t become the norm until the end of the decade. Structural problems within the industry need to be addressed first: too many materials are imported and economies of scale are hard to achieve. “We’re really looking at five or ten years to get that all in order, and to produce our own materials. I think we are really looking at 2020 to become reasonably efficient.” If he is right, the Scottish Government may find that by prioritising one problem in particular, the other only gets bigger.
has increased 40 per cent since the election. She believes the chances of “serious Green influence” in government in her lifetime are “extremely high”, and notes that Labour became a party of government just 24 years after securing its first MP. But despite the optimism, the party’s success is
Caroline Lucas
have seen long-held aspirations such as electoral reform and redistributive taxation dashed on the rocks of coalition. Lucas believes the Greens are on the up and up, and not without foundation – the party’s membership
far from guaranteed. The unambiguous rejection of the Alternative Vote means the Greens will be forced to continue their uphill struggle in first-past-the-post constituencies. Environmental concerns may well inch up the list of voters’ priorities, but the party’s left-wing economics (Lucas has talked of ending our “addiction to growth”) will continue to alienate many. There is a growing perception that by declaring itself “anti-capitalist” and striking an aggressive posture against the excesses of big business, the party is repositioning itself as a socialist alternative and playing down its environmental focus. Success can create problems of its own. In Scotland,
the number of Green MSPs fell to two in 2007 and has stayed there. Like many fringe groups, there is a constant danger that mainstream parties can simply co-opt the Green’s language to take the sting out of any surge. But whatever the party’s fortunes, it is clear that we will be hearing much more from Lucas before the next general election.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84